Reversing-gear for engines



(No Model.)

R. RUTHERFORD 8v T MOORE.

REVBRSING GEAR FOR ENGINES. No. 352.489. Patented Nov. 9, 1886 ATTORNEYS.

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UNITED STATES PATENT Erica.

ROBERT RUTHERFORD, OF REUTCHLER, AND THOMAS MOORE, OF OFALLON, ILLINOIS.

REVERSlNG-GEAR FOR ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 352,489, dated November 9, 1886.

Application filed February 26, 1886. Serial No. 193,342. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, ROBERT RUTHER- FORD, of Reutchler, in the county of St. Clair and State of Illinois, and THOMAS MOORE, of

OFallon, St. Clair county, and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Reversing-Gear for Steam-Engines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of our invention is to provide a new and improved reversing-gear for steamengines in which a positive motion is given to the slidevalve at all times, dispensing with the link now commonly used for reversing. The invention consists of various parts and details and combinations of the same, as will be fully explained hereinafter, andthen pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying 2o drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is an end elevation showing our improvements. Fig. 2 is an end elevation showing the reverse of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 isasectional plan view on the line 00 m, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a sectional side elevation on the line 3 y, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the locking mechanism- Fig. 6 is a face view of the under side of the cam-plate.

To the crank-shaft A of the steam-engine is secured a disk, B, having transverse recesses B and B", in which are placed the cleats O, attached to the eccentric O. The latter is pro- 3 5 vided with the usual eccentric-straps and connections for moving the slide-valve of the engine, and with an elongated aperture, 0", through which the crank-shaft A passes without coming in contact with the eccentric O in 0 whatever position the latter may assume on the disk B. The eccentric O is also provided with an extension, 0", in which is mounted the pin D, which is formed on its lower end with the prongs D D. In an aperture, B of the disk B is fitted, to slide longitudinally, the cam -plate E, having the diagonal slots or grooves E on its upper side and the heartshaped grooves on its lower side. The forked prongs D D of the pin D engage in the grooves E E of the cam-plate E, and into the grooves E E project the pins F F, secured to the upper face of the locking-plate F, placed beneath the cam-plate E.

A wheel, G, having'an aperture, G,through which passes freely the crank-shaft A,is placed 5 5 on the outer ends of the cam-plate E and the locking-plate F. The cam-plate E has an elongated slot, E", and the locking-plate F has an aperture, F through both of which apertures a pin or screw, G passes,which is secured to the wheel G.

A plate, H, having a number of notches, H, is secured by screws H or other means to the eccentric O, and is placed across part of one face of the disk B, to which is also secured a lug, I, (shown in detail iri Fig. 6,) and provided with a spring-bolt, J, operated by a bell-crank, J, against one arm of which the lockingplate F presses.

The cleats O of the eccentric G are so arranged that when the eccentric is in its central position on the disk B, as shown in Fig.

1, the cleats are held in notches K in the disk B by a spring, L, placed in the recess Bof the disk B, and pressing against the upper edge of the lower cleat, O.

The operation is as follows: In the central position the eccentric O is locked on the disk B, as shown in Fig. 1, by means of the cleats 0 being held in the notches K of the disk B, and by the locking-bolt J being engaged with the middle notch, H, of the plate H, so that when the shaft A operates the eccentric operates the slide-valve in the usual way without any lead. When it is desired to'8 5 reverse the engine, the wheel G is moved to. or from the disk B by a lover or other device attachedto the wheel G in any convenient manner. This movement of the wheel G car- 7 ries the locking-plate F along at the same 0 time, which plate F receives a sidewise motion by the pins F -entering one side of the heartshaped grooves F of the cam-plate E, so that the edge of the locking-plate F presses against the bell'crank lever J, which pulls 5 the bolt J downward and withdraws the same from the middle notch, H, of the plate H. By this time the bolt G2 of the wheel G has traveled to one end of the slot E in the camplate E, and the latter, with the lock-plate F, is carried along in the direction of the movement of the wheel Gr, whereby the eccentric C is moved sidewise on the disk B by the forked pin D, its prongs sliding in the diagonal grooves E of the cam-plate until the de sired position for the eccentric G is attained. The pressure on the wheel G is released, whereby the locking-plate F is forced to its former position in relation to the cam-plate E, as shown in Fig. 6, so that the spring-bolt J will enter one of the notches H in the plate H, which plate made the same side movement on the disk B as did the eccentric C. It will be seen that this sliding of the eccentric from its central position to one side of the disk B, attached to the shaft A, increases the throw of the eccentric O, which consequently gives lead to the slide'valve, which does not open the ports of the cylinder aslong as the eccentric O is in the central position, as shown in Fig. 1.

It will be understood that the movement of the wheel G to or from the disk B opens or closes the corresponding ports in the ends of the steam-cylinder by the sidewise motion of the eccentric O on the disk B.

Having thus fully described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a reversing gear for steam-engines, the combination of an eccentric provided with a forked pin and adjustable on a disk attached to the crankshaft, with a cam-plate sliding in the said disk and having diagonal grooves which engage with the said forked pin, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. In a reversing-gear for steam-engines,

- the combination of an eccentric provided with 7 3. In a reversinggear for steam-engines, the combination of an eccentric provided with a forked pin and a notched plate and sliding on a disk attached to the crank-shaft, with a wheel provided with a pin, with a cam-plate having diagonal grooves, and with a locking plate operating a locking-bolt by means of a bell-crank, substantially as herein shown and described.

4. In a reversinggear for steam-engines, the crank-shaft A, the disk B, the eccentric O, the pin D, having the prongs D D, and

the late H having the notches H in combination with the wheel G, provided. with the pin G, the cam-plate E, having the diagonal grooves E E, the heart-shaped grooves E, and the elongated slot E and a locking-plate, F, provided with the pins F and operating the locking-bolt J by means of the bell-crank J, substantially as herein shown and described.

5. In a reversing-gear for steam-engines, the shaft A and a disk, B, having the grooves B and B, and the notches K, in combination 55 with the eccentric 0, having the aperture 0, and provided with the cleats G O, and the spring L, substantially as herein shown and described.

6. In a reversing-gear for steam-engines. the wheel G, provided with the pin G, and the locking-plate F, having the pin F, in combination with the cam-plate E, having the heart-shaped grooves E and the elongated slot E and the be1l-crank J, operating the locking-bolt J, substantially as herein shown and described.

ROBERT RUTHERFORD.

THOMAS MOORE.

Witnesses:

CHARLES BORN, WILLIAM H. RUTHERFORD. 

